Los Angeles-based attorney Svitlana Sangary, on a website advertising her legal services, filled a page with bad Photoshop jobs of herself standing side-by-side with President Obama, George Clooney and Barbra Streisand, among other celebrities. Her false advertising now exposed, she faces a possible six-month suspension by the California Bar. In spite of being in hot water, Sangary has not removed the images from her website. 

Sangary, in a nonsensical reponse to the charges, wrote,

“Also with regard to false statements and misleading advertisement, none other than Natalie Portman comes to mind. The online media extensively covers the controversy surrounding Natalie Portman’s performance in the film Black Swan. The ballet dancer who performed in the Black Swan, Sarah Lane, has come forward to revel [sic] a “cover up” and says that Natalie Portman’s head was superimposed onto Sarah Lane’s body, and that Natalie Portman lied…Despite the foregoing, Natalie Portman has won an Oscar for her performance in Black Swan.”

 On September 11, State Bar Court Judge Donald Miles made a decision that read in part,

"The court has grave concerns regarding [Sangary's] demonstrated lack of insight and her contemptuous conduct during these proceedings," Miles wrote. Her "failure to remove the deceptive images from her website, even after the State Bar brought this issue to her attention, and her demonstrated disregard for the disciplinary process give little reason to believe that her misconduct will not continue."

The California Supreme court will make the final decision as to punishment for Sangary. Read more at the Los Angeles Times. 

Tomorrow is George R.R. Martin's 66th birthday. In honor of the occasion, Dustin Rowles at Uproxx has compiled a list of facts about the celebrated writer/producer. The focus of this list is on Martin's personal life. 

For instance, when George R.R. Martin was in the sixth grade, he impulsively decided to stop buying and reading comic books which, prior to that decision, was a significant hobby of his. At the time, young George had a collection of Superman comics, which he gave away. Just in time, and in what could be considered an omen of his future success, he changed his mind six months later, buying first editions of The Amazing Spider-man and The Fantastic Four. Martin now says they could fund his retirement.

Read twelve more facts about George R.R. Martin here. 

Image Credit: Karolina Webb

Headlines: in the past five years or so, they seem to have reached a level beyond ridiculous. A writer may say that reading X will make the reader Y, when Y is to go insane, be unable to believe their eyes, scream, hide under their desk or some other dramatic presumption. Readers may be assured that a certain article will change their lives, alter the way they live them, or revolutionize the way they cook beets until the day they die. Readers may be told in advance that, in a list, number three will make them rip out their hair/laugh hysterically/do a jig/hug their mama.

Headlines for celebrity gossip stories are similarly absurd. Older celebrities are crticized if they have wrinkles or show other signs of age, yet they are constantly being monitored for signs of plastic surgery. Male and female luminaries who dare to wear swimsuits without being perfect tens have their bodies picked apart, feature by feature. Some headlines suggest that overweight stars have a lot of nerve to show their face in public. Starlets wearing baggy sweaters or who've just eaten big dinners may be described as pregnant. 

The pictures here are examples of such exaggerated celebrity headlines. Summing up the photos in plain language may sound boring and state the obvious, but at least they are accurate. Via 22 Words.

 

 

Rumors have been going around about a Zoolander sequel lately, thirteen years after the original. Hard to say what Hansel, Mugatu, Derek and the gang could be up to these days. But for now, a blast from the past -- eight facts about Zoolander. 

Here's a fun one: bizarro novelist Brett Easton Ellis (whose Twitter feed alone could probably get him committed for a 72-hour psych eval.) sued Ben Stiller, claiming he stole the Zoolander concept from Ellis'1998 novel, Glamorama. The book's plotline involved a model who turned terrorist. The case never made it to court, as the two camps reached a settlement. Somehow I think Stiller got ripped off in that exchange. 

Read more facts about Zoolander at Uproxx.

Image: Paramount

For several years, Nadav Kander has explored Soviet cities that were once nuclear test sites, the locations of which have been historically kept under wraps. As Kander learned their locations, he traveled to multiple formerly restricted military zones, many of which did not appear on maps until the end of the Cold War.

At these sites, long-distance missiles were tested and numerous atomic bombs were detonated. The bombs were exploded in areas that, while secluded, had residents scattered along the periphery. Unknown to them, the inhabitants of these areas were studied as to the effects of radiation upon their population.

The bleak photographs that were the result of Kander shooting these desolate areas are being published in an upcoming book entitled Dust, which goes on sale October 31st. Visit Kander's website to learn more and see additional works. Via Juxtapoz.

Images Credit: Nadav Kander

Mountain Goat Kids, Mount Evans Wilderness, Colorado
Image: Verdon Tomajko

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of The Wilderness Act, The Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History is featuring an exhibit of photography from wilderness areas across the United States. Opening on September 3 and running indefinitely, this exhibited set of jury-selected photos is also featured on the Smithsonian website. Each month, a photo will be selected as the popular favorite, according to votes received by website visitors. 

See all of these stunning captures and cast your vote for your favorite each month here.
Via Bored Panda.

Brown Bear, Katmai Wilderness, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Image: Robert Amuroso

Aurora Borealis Over Honeymoon Rock, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Wisconsin
Image: Jeff Rennicke

Although I'm not generally a fan of skull designs just for the sake of skull designs, even I think this armchair is pretty cool. Better yet, it's specifically built for comfort, not just for aesthetic impact. Designer Harold Sangouard used a steel base covered with resin, finished with glossy black paint, and a padded seat covered in velvet. Visit Sangouard’s website to learn more and obtain pricing information. Via Lost at E Minor. 

Redditor kelhans, in an amazing display of resourcefulness, transformed a storage room in the basement of this home into what looks like a deep-woods cabin retreat. The price is right as well: he says he only spent $107 on the entire project, furnishing it with his belongings and using scrap wood. 

This impressive DIY project had an amusing inspiration: the man is a father of seven children and desired a place that was all his own. I can only hope his wife recruits him to build her a woman cave next, so both parents have their happy places!

See photos that document the project from start to finish here. Via Twisted Sifter. 

 The storage room before the project began

James Whitbrook for Toybox i09 compiles a list of the most bizarre incarnations of Spider-Man, taking into account alternate universes, spinoffs and the like. 

A shining example, pictured above, is the Spectacular Spider-Ham. First appearing on comic book pages in Marvel Tails Starring Peter Porker the Spectacular Spider-Ham, circa 1983, this porcine Spidey was found in Earth-8311, a universe of anthropomorphic animal superheroes. The invention of Mark Armstrong and Tom DeFalco, Peter Porker was bitten by radioactive animal scientist (Aunt) May Porker, which tranformed him into the porky power seen above. 

Spider-Ham joined forces with Nick Furry, Captain Americat, and Hulk-Bunny and battled villains Ducktor Doom, Buzzard and Hog-Zilla, among others. According to Whitbrook, the Ham is one of the most popular alt-Spider-Men. Pigs don't have to fly before I understand why. 

See more bizarre manifestations of Spider-Man here.  

Los Angeles-based artist and animator Lili Chin's personal project "Dogs of the World" features canines grouped by their areas of origin. Chin began the series in 2008 as a way to fund a local dog rescue called Boston Buddies.

Since the project's inception, its scale has expanded greatly, and its existence has proved beneficial to a number of pet rescue organizations. As Chin says,

"In the past five years, Doggie Drawings has evolved into a full-time (one-person) pet portrait and illustration business.  So far, I have drawn over 800 unique pet portraits and donated a total of $13,242 to many dog rescue groups."

These dogs may hail from distinct parts of the world, but the love many humans have for them is universal. See more of Chin's dog drawings from many other regions of the world here. Via Design Taxi.

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While I'm not a fan of rap music in general, this song has me charmed. Rapping about bitches has been put into an entirely new perspective. Via Laughing Squid.

Zomato, a website targeted at foodies, created these illustrations to promote themselves. In certain situations, most personalities are either A or B, where A and B represent ways and means of food consumption. Which one are you? Are you ever both? In my case, ketchup *and* mustard on my burger, please. See more examples of gastronomical dichotomies here.

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A beagle and a banjo: while I've never considered the two simultaneously before, it just feels so right. It must feel right for this beagle as well, because he howls from the heart to the song of his human's banjo playing. At one point he seems as if he's sung himself sleepy, but he rebounds to chime in with those final notes. Via Tastefully Offensive

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This Japanese video of a cat playing with his weasel friend is another example of two species that seem unlikely friends, yet actually enjoy each other's company. At one point, the cat runs off and the weasel is left with an adorable look of "wait... come back!" on his face. Don't miss their glamour shot at 1:05. Via Tastefully Offensive

A new article at io9 reveals some interesting stories from These Are the Voyages. According to its promotional copy, this hardcover book is a collection of memories "from actors, directors, producers, and production crew, capturing what went on from every perspective, including memos dictated by Roddenberry while reading drafts of the series scripts." It sounds like a fascinating read which, io9 reports, details a surprisingly high number of conflicts surrounding the scriptwriting, filming and everything in between.
 
Here's an amusing bit of trivia: Gene Rodenberry's vision of the future included men who had no chest hair. Thus, William Shatner was required to be shaved by a studio barber prior to any scenes in which he had to show his naked chest. According to These Are the Voyages, Roddenberry hoped that the men of the future would have "little or no body hair." Quite the visionary. 

Read nine more facts about the original Star Trek here.